Garments and Orders Ceremonies Gestures be rooted out from amongstus Trouble they will bring upon us for the time to come if they be not now cut off Pag. 36. As to the KING and his PARTY what a sad thing is it my Brethren to see our King in the head of an Army of Babylonians refusing as it were to be called the King of England Scotland Ireland and chusing rather to be called the King of Babylon Those that made their Peace with the King at Oxford were Judases of England and it were just with God to give them their Portion with Judas Here follows next their Opinion of the COVENANT The walls of Jerico have fall'n flat before it the Dagon of the Bishops Service-Book brake its neck before this Ark of the Covenant Prelacy and Prerogative have bow'd down and given up the Ghost at its feet Take the Covenant and you take Babilon the Towers of Babilon and her Seaven Hills shall move It is the Shiboleth to distinguish Ephramites from Gileadites Pag. 27. Not only is that Covenant which God hath made wiâ—h Us founded upon the Blood of Christ but that also which we make with God Pag. 33. See now the TENDERNESS of these men of tender Consciences Whensoever you shall behold the hand of God in the fall of Babilon say True here is a Babilonish Priest crying 〈◊〉 alas alas my Living I have Wife and Children to maintain Ay but all this is to perform the Judgement of the Lord. Pag. 13. Though as Little ones they call for pity yet as Babilonish they call for Justice even to Blood pag. 11. We are now entring upon the State of the WAR wherein you will finde in the first place who sounded the Trumpet to it To you of the Honourable House Up for the Matter belongs to you We even all the GODLY MINISTERS of the Country will be with you The First Enginiers that batter'd this great Wall of Babilon who were they but the poorer and meaner sort of People that at the First joyn'd with the Ministers to raise the Building of Reformation Here is an Extraordinary appearance of so many Ministers to encourage you in this Cause that you may see how real the Godly Ministry in England is unto this Cause This was upon calling in the Scots And again If I had as many Lives as I have hairs on my head I would be willing to Sacrifice all those Lives for this Cause Ibid. You shall read Numb 10. that there were two Silver Trumpets and as there were Priests appointed for the Convocation of their Assemblies so there were Priests to sound the Silver Trumpets to proclaim the War And Deut. 20. When the Children of Israel would go out to War the Sons of Levi one of the Priests was to make a Speech to encourage them Nor were they less cruel and fierce in the Prosecution of the War then they were forward in Promoting it In vain shall you in your Fasts with Joshua lie on your faces unless you lay your Achans â—n their Backs In vain are the High Praises of God in your Moâ—hs without a Two edged Sword in your hand Pag. 31. The Bâ—od that Ahab spar'd in Benhadad stuck as deep and as heavily on him as that which he spilt in Naboth The Lord is pursuing you if you execute not Vengeance on them betimes Pag. 48. Why should life be farther granted to them whose very lifâ— brings death to all about them pag. 50. Cursed be he that with-h ldoth his Sword from blood that spares when God saith strike c. pag. And let it not be now pretended that this War was not Levy'd against the King for they both disclaim his Authority and even the opposing of him on expresse terms It is lawfull says Dr. Downing of Hackney in a Sermon to the Artillery Men for defence of Religion and Reformation of the Church to take up Arms against the King It is commendable says Calamy to sight for peace and Reformation against the Kings Command And Case again Why come not in the Scottish Army against the King If the Devil can but once get a Prophet to leave Gods service for the Kings he hath taken a Blew already and is ready for as deep a Black as Hell can give him pa. 28. But what do they say all this time to his AUTHORITY The Parliament whom the People chuse are the Great and only Conservators of the peoples Liberties pag. 2. They are the chief Magistrates pag. 38. All those that fought under the Kings Banner against this Parliament fought themselves into slavery and did endeavour by all bloudy and Treacherous ways to subvert Religion and Liberties pag. 9. The Lords and Commons are as Masters of the House pag. 22. The Parliament of the Common-wealth of England without the King 1651 were the Supreme Authority of this Nation The Houses are not only requisite to the Acting of this Power of making Laws but Coordinate with his Majesty in the very Power of Acting pag 42. The Reall Sovereignty here in England was says Baxter in King Lords and Commons pag. 72. And those that conclude that the Parliament being Subjects may not take up Arms against the King and that it is Rebellion to resist him their grounds are sandy and their Superstructure false pag. 459. 460. The next Point is their Animating the MURTHER of the KING Do Justice to the Greatest Sauls Sons are not spar'd no nor may Agag or Benhadad tho' themselves Kings Zimri and Cozbi tho Princes of the people must be pursu'd into their Tents This is the way to Consecrate your selves to God pag. 16. The Execution of Judgment is the Lords word and they shall be cursed that do it negligently And cursed shall they be that keep back their Sword in this Cause You know the story of Gods Message unto Ahab for letting Benhadad go upon Composition pag. 26. But you shall now hear the MURTHER of his Sacred Majesty press'd more particularly in these Words Think not to save your selves by an unrighteous saving of them who are the Lords and the Peoples known Enemies you may not imagine to obtain the favour of those against whom you will not do Justice For certainly if you act not like Gods in this particular against men truly obnoxious to Justice they will be like Devils against you Observe that place 1 Kings 22. 31. compared with Cap. 20. It is said in Chap. 20. that the King of Syria came against Israel and by the mighty power of God he and his Army were overthrown and the King was taken Prisoner Now the mind of God was which he then discover'd only by that present Providence that Justice should have been executed upon him but it was not Whereupon the Prophet comes with ashes upon his face and waited for the King of Israel in the way where he should return and as the King passed
Insurrection who kept not any one Article that was there agreed upon the King called a Parliament that met Aug. 13. 1640 which at first was thought to be well enough disposed till Sir Hen. Vane then Secretary of State demanded Twelve Subsidies in stead of Six which put the Commons into such a flame that upon May 4. his Majesty by the Advice of his Council thought fit to Dissolve them In August following the Scotch Confederates holding very good Intelligence with the English entred England with an Army which the King oppos'd with what force he was at that time able to Raise upon his own Credit His Majesty upon this pinch summons his Great Council of Peers to assemble at York Sept. 24. where they met accordingly and advised the King to a Treaty which was held at Rippon and a Peace was there Concluded and Signed Oct. 26. His Majesty being ply'd in the Interim with Petitions to call a Parliament and his work cut out ready to his hand in the matter of Property and Religion Those Petitions might have been spar'd the King having before hand resolved to call a Parliament to meet on the 3d of November next They were no sooner met but they fell upon Grievances and Impeachments beginning with the Earl of Strafford and the Bishop of Canterbury and so proceeding till all his Majestys Friends were made Traytors and the Law it self was found to be the Greatest Grievance There is a Malignant and Pernicious Designe says the Remonstrance of Dec. 15. 41. of subverting the Fundamental Laws and Principles of Government upon which the Religion and Justice of this Kingdom is firmly establish'd And there are certain Counsellors and Courtiers who for private Ends have engaged themselves to further the Interest of some Foreign Princes and States to the Prejudice of his Majesty and the State at Home Take notice now that the King had already by their own confession pass'd more Good Bills to the advantage of the Subjects then had been in many ages Coat and Conduct-money were all damn'd The Earl of Strafford beheaded The Archbishop of Canterbury Judge Bartlet and several other Bishops and Judges Impeach'd two Bills pass'd the One for a Triennial the Other for Continuance of the Present Parliament the Star-Chamber High-Commission Courts of the President and Council in the North taken away the Council-Table Regulated the Power of Bishops and their Courts abated Innovators and Scandalous Ministers terrifiâ—d by accusations the Forrests and Stannary-Courts brought within compass and yet after all this other things pa. 15. of main Importance for the Good of this Kingdom are in Proposition But their Intention pag. 19. is only to reduce within Bounds that exorbitant Power which the Prelates have assumed to unburthen mens Consciences of needless and superstitious Ceremonies Suppress Innovations and take away the Monuments of Idolatry To support his Majesties Royal Estate with Honour and Plenty at home with Power and Reputation abroad and by their Loyall Affections Obedience and Service to lay a sure and lasting Foundation of the Greatness and Prosperity of his Majesty and his Royall Posterity after him pag. 2. Declaring and Protesting further to this Kingdom and Nation and to the whole world pag. 663. in the presence of Almighty God for the satisfaction of their Consciences and the discharge of that Great Trust which lies upon them that no Private Passion or Respect no evill Intention to his Majesties Person no designe to the prejudice of his JUST Honour and Authority engaged them to raise Forces and take up Arms against the Authours of that War wherein the Kingdom was then Inflamâ—d Let us see now how well they acquitted themselves as to this Profession They put the Kingdom into a Posture of Defence by the Authority of Both Houses Pag. 96. They require anâ— Obedience to it Pag. 112. They Vote it a Breach of priviledge not to submit to any thing as Legal which they declare to be Law Pag. 114. And declare Pag. 150. that upon Certain Appearance or Grounded Suspition the Letter of the Law shall be emproved against the Equity of it and that the Commander going against its Equity discharges the Commanded from Obedience to the Letter to shorton the business they make it Treason upon any presence whatsoever Pag. 576. to assist his Majesty in the War with Horse Arms Plate or Monies and his Majesty Sums up the Malice of that Declaration in these Sixth Petitions First That they have an Absolute Power of Declaring the Law and that whatsoever they declare to be so ought not to be questioned either by King or people So that all the Right and safety of the Prince and Subject depends upon their pleasure Secondly That no Presidents can be Limits to bound their Proceedings which is so the Government of the Turk himself is not so Arbitrary Thirdly That a Parliament may dispose of any thing wherein the King or Subject hath a Right for the Publick Good speaking all this while of the remnant of the two Houses That they without the King are this Parliament and Judge of this Publick Good and that the Kings Consent is not necessary So that the Life and Liberty of the Subject and all the Good Laws made for their security may be dispos'd of and Repâ—al'd by the Major Part of both Houses at any time present and by any ways and means procured so to be and his Majesty has no Power to Protect them Fourthly That a Member of either House ought not to be troubled or medled with for Treason â—lony or any other crime without the Cause first brought before them that they may Judge of the Fact and their leave obtained to proceed Fifthly That the Soveraign Power resides in Both Houses of Parliament the King has no negative Voice and becomes Subject to their Commands Lastly That the Levying of Forces against the Personal Commands of the King though accompany'd with his presence is not Levying War against the King But to Levy War against his Laws and Authority which they have power to declare and signify is Levying War against the King and that Treason cannot be committed against his Person otherwise then as he is intrusted with the Kingdom and discharging that Trust and that they have a power to judge whether he dischargeth it or no. And all this still for the maintainance of the true Protestant Religion the Kings JUST Prerogatives the Laws and Liberties of the Land and the Priviledges of Parliament Pag. 281. Nay they will not allow the King any great Officer or Publick Minister the Power of Treating upon War or Peace or any matter of State conferring Honours no not so much as the Power of appointing any Officer Civil or Military without leave of the two Houses The Scale of their wickedness in One Word wherein their hireling-Pulpitiers fail in as pat with them as two Tallies was this First they fell upon the Kings Reputation they Invaded his Authority in the
forc'd him away from his Palace when yet they had the confidence to charge his Sacred Majesty with making War upon his Parliament But this would not yet do their business till they got Possession of the Militia which at length they did the Presses and the Pulpits all this while giving life and credit to their Proceedings Upon the tuning of mens minds for Innovations by making them sick of the present state of things the People were easily prevail'd upon to Petition for what they so much wish'd for and desir'd and this was the second step toward the Tyranny and Slavery that ensu'd upon it The Rude people says his Late Majesty in his Reflexions upon TUMULTS are taught first to Petition then to Protest then to Dictate and at last to Command The Faction made use of Petitions as common House-breakers do of screws they got in by little and little and without much noise and so Risled the Government Or they did rather like the counterfeit Glasiers that took down the Glasse at Noonday under colour of mending the Windows and then Robb'd the House To make a right Judgment upon a Popular Petition we should first consider the matter of it Secondly the wording of it Thirdly the manner of Promoting it Fourthly the Probable intent of it And Lastly we should do well to consult History and Experience to see what effects such Petitions have commonly produced As to the Subject-Matter of Popular Petitions it is either for publique concernment or private Generall or particular That is to say concerning the whole Body of the People or only some part of it It is either within the Petitioners Cognizance and Understanding or it is not It varies according to the Circumstances of Times Occasions and Parties and it often falls out especially where it treats of Reformation that the one half of it is a Petition and the other a Libell The Case of that is purely Private or Particular cannot properly be call'd Popular and so not to our purpose There are likewise Mixt Cases of Publick and Private as in the Calamities of War Pestilence Fires Inudations and the like where Numerous Subscriptions are matter of Attestation rather then Clamour on the behalf of such and such Known and Particular Sufferers Now there is a great heed to be given to the Petitions of men both that Understand what it is they ask and whom the Law has made Competent Judges of it But where the Question is the Redresse of Grievances in matter of State the Complaining part of the Petition makes it only a more Artificiall Scandall Besides the dangerous boldness of Intermeddling in points which they neither have any thing to do withall nor one jot Understand Such as the Petition of the Rabble in and about London in 1640. against Episcopacy Root and Branch the Porters Petition in 1641. about the Militia being told that it was only a Petition to Prohibit Watermen from carrying of Burthens That of the Stanford School-boys which their Masters made them Subscribe against Bishops Or the Scottish Petition in 1637. of Men Women Children and Servants in those very terms against the Service-Book These few instances may suffice to show the folly and worse of peoples stickllng for they know not what Next to the Matter of the Petition we should consider the wording of it For he that asks he knows not what may ask any thing in the World for ought he knows And it is not the humility of the Stile that can justify the publishing of a Reproach upon the Prince Did not Jacob take Amasa by the Beard with the Right hand to kiss him and yet at the same time strike him under the Fifth Rib that he dy'd It is no Breach of Charity when a Multitude are drawn into a Petition blindly to sollicite the Interests of Other men to take all ambiguities and Equivocalls in the worst sense And then the Manner of promoting these Petitions goes a great way It was a common practice in the Late Times for the confiding Members of several Countries to draw up Petitions to themselves and Lodg them in the hands of severall of their Factious Country-men here in the City to gather Subscriptions Where and how they plea'd in the Name of their respective Countiee Their Seditious Preachers says the Late King and Agents are by them and their speciall and particular Directions sent into the several Counties to infuse Fears and Jealousies into the minds of our Good Subjects with â—itions ready drawn by Them for the People to Sign which were yet many times by them changed three or four times before the delivery upon accidents or occurrences of either or both Houses And when many of our poor deceived People of our severall Counties have come to the City of London with a Petition so framed altered and Signed as aforesaid that Petition hath been Suppress'd and a New one ready drawn hath been put into their hands after their coming to Town insomuch as few of the Company have known what they â—tition'd for and hath been by them presented to One or Both our Houses of Parliamant as that of Bedfordsh and Buckinghamsh Witnesse those Petitions and amongst the rest that of Harfordshire which took notice of matter agreed on or dissented from the night before the delivery Which was hardly time enough to get so many thousand hands and to travel to London on that Errand These were not the Petitions of the Subscribers but of those that set them on who did in effect but Petition the People to Petition them again and that which was taken and imposed as the sense of the Nation was only the Project and Dictate of the Caball Only with the Porters they thought they had sign'd a Petition against the Watermen and it prov'd to be against the Government so innocent were the greater part of the Petitioners Now as to the Intent of those Petitions since we cannot enter into the hearts of men we are allow'd to judge of the Tree by the Fruit. And we must distinguish too betwixt the Intention of the Dictatours and that of the Subscribers the Former Contriving with an Ill Intention that which the Latter Executed with a Good One. Let the Matter of the Petition be never so fair yet as was said before if it be a business out of the Petitioners sphere and capacity either to Meddle in or to understand it is a suspitious way of Proceeding Such were the Confederate Petitions of England and Scotland for a Parliament in 1641. which were but a Prologue to the Opening of the Subsequent Confederacy against the Government When the Petitions that follow'd sufficiently expounded the meaning of the Former They Petition'd against Ecclesiastical Courts Ceremonies Scandalous Ministers Bishops Votes in Parliament and Episcopacy it self against evil Councellors Monopolies Corruptions of State Courts of Oppression and Innumerable Grievances Were they not gratify'd in all this and did not those very Concessions make
some of the Aldermen Protested against them as having no thought of either shuting out the Mayor or making the Committee so absolute as they found the two Houses had done Whereupon it was mov'd that the Houses might be Petition'd to reverse the Order But that being carryed in the Negative Ven produces another Order for the adding of Skippon to the Committee for the Militia which was carry'd without much Difficulty The Court of Aldermen reflecting upon the Indignities cast upon the Mayor and Government of the City Petition'd the House apart from the Commons that the Mayor and Sheriffs might be nominated of the Committee but to no purpose For they knew Sir Richard Gourny was a person of two much Honour and Loyalty to comply with their Designes After this Repulse several of the most Eminent Citizens both for Worth and Estates Petition'd the Two Houses in their own Names for the Removall of That Scandal but there was no relief to be had and they were barbarously treated for their pains over and above Sir George Benyon to his Honour as the framer and chief Promoter of that most reasonable Petition was fin'd 3000l Disfranchiz'd in the City never to bear Office in the Kingdom to be Committed for two year to Colchester Goal and at the end of the Term to give security for his good Behaviour Methinks the bare Recital of This Inhumane Insolence should turn the Bloud of every honest Citizen This Committee was now becom the masters of the Militia they remov'd Sir Richard Gourny and put Pennington into his place they make Ordinances to pass for Laws and Rebellion to be a point of Conscience they persecute the Orthodox Clergy Oppress their Fellow Citizens and the whole Nation and where they have not Credit to borrow they make use of their Power to Take away living upon the Spoil without any regard to the Laws either of God or Man And to shew the world that as the Faction had subverted the Government of the City so they intended to perpetuate the slavery See as follows Vicesimo Octavo Februarii 1648. An Act of the Commons of England in Parliament Assembled For Removing Obstructions in the Proceedings of the Common-Council of the City of London THe Commons of England in Parliament assembled do Enact and Ordain and be it Enacted and Ordained by the Authority aforesaid that in all times to come the Lord Mayor of the said City of London so often and at such time as any 10. or more of the Common-Council-men do by Writing under their hands request or desire him thereunto shall summon assemble and hold a Common-Council and if at any time being so required or desired he shall fail therein then the ten persons or more making such request or desire shall have Power and are hereby Authorized by Writing under their hand to summon or cause to be summoned to the said Council the Members belonging thereunto in as ample manner as the Lord Mayor himself usually hath done and that the Members appearing upon the same Summons being of the Number of 40. or more shall become a Common-Council And that each Officer whose duty it shall be to warn in and Summon the Members of the said Councill shall perform the same from time to time upon the Warrant or Command of ten persons or more so authorized as aforesaid And it is further Enacted and Ordained by the authority aforesaid that in every Common-Council hereafter to be assembled the Lord Mayor of the said City for the time being or in his absence such Locum tenens as he shall appoint and in default thereof the Eldest Alderman present if any be and for want of such Alderman or in case of his neglect or refusal therein then any other person Member of the said Council whom the Commons present in the said Council shall chuse shall be from time to time President or Chairman of the said Council and shall cause and suffer all things offered to or proposed in the said Council to be fairly and orderly debated Put to the Question Voted and Determined in and by the same Council as the Major part of the Members present in the said Council shall desire or think â—it and in every Vote which shall pass and in the other Proceedings of the said Council neither the Lord Major nor Aldermen joynt or Separate shall have any negative or distinct Voice or Vote otherwise then with and among and as part of the rest of the Members of the said Council and in the same manner as the other Members have and that the absence and withdrawing of the Lord Major or Aldermen from the said Council shall not stop or prejudice the proceedings of the said Council And that every Common-Council which shall be held in the City of London shall sit vnd continue so long as the Major part of the Council shall think sit and shall not be dissolved or adjourned but by and according to the Order or Consent of the Major part of the same Council And that all the Votes and Acts of the said Common-Council which was held 13 January last after the departure of the Lord Mayor from the same Council and also all Votes and acts of every Common Council hereafter to be held shall be from time to time duly registred as the Votes and Acts of the said Council have used to be done in time past And be it further Eâ—cted and Ordained by the Authority aforesaid that every Officer which shall sit in the said Council shall be from time to time chosen by the said Council and shall have such reasonable allowance or Salary for his pains and service therein as the Council shall think fit And that every such Officer shall attend the said Common-Council and that all Acts and Records and Register Books belonging to the said City shall be extant to be perused â—od searched into by every Citizen of the said City in the presence of the Officer who shall have the Charge of keeping thereof who is hereby required to attend for the same purpose Hen. Scobel Cler. Parliament Take notice that the Vote of Common-Council in the Act above-recited of Jan. 13. 1648. when the Lord Mayor went off and dismissed the Court was a Treasonous Vote for the speedy bringing of the King to Justice You have here the State of the New-Model'd Government of the City and effectually of the whole Nation together with the Methods of Hypocrisy and State that brought us into that miserable Condition And what were they but Canting Sermons Popular Petitions Tumults Associations Impostures and Disaffected Common-Councils We have likewise set forth how these Advantages were gain'd with their Natural Tendency to the Mischiefs they produc'd And who were they that promoted and brought all these Calamities upon us but men of desperate Fortunes and Principles Male-contents broken Tradesmen Coblers Thimble-makers Dray-men Ostlers and a world of this sort of People whose Names are every where up and down